ADHD Back-to-School Prep: 10 Talks to Have for a Great School Year

Set the tone for a successful school year for your ADHD student by having conversations with your child, his teachers, doctors, and the other important people in his life. Find out what to discuss here.

Check in with Your Child

Accentuate the positive

If your child has attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD), she may have low self-esteem, in addition to symptoms of ADHD. To succeed in school, she must not only adhere to academic and behavioral standards, she must believe in herself.

Educate your child about attention deficit disorder and present the upside of ADHD. For example, ADHD in children often correlates with traits including creativity. As she meets new faces and new challenges at school, help your child remember that she is a valuable member of her classroom community — in spite of, or because of, her ADHD, dyslexia, or other learning disabilities.

Ask your child about his friends

A child with ADHD may need your help in identifying classmates with whom he could develop constructive friendships. During the first weeks of school, ask your child to describe his classmates, and listen for clues about personalities that might complement his own.

Children with ADHD tend to form quick alliances with children they find exciting or interesting. Encourage your child to get to know the self-contained and studious kids, who might admire his imagination or boldness and who might also be a calming influence.

Help your child learn to appreciate the teacher

Your child may feel that teachers are the enemy. Help her find something to appreciate about her teacher. All children, and especially children with ADHD or dyslexia, should have a sense of teachers as humans, not merely as authorities. When your child thinks, "She's strict, but she's cool," what she means is, "We can work together."